2015 Mark Ryan Winery "Lonely Heart" Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's been an interesting day, long and full of work with a bonus drive home from Grand Rapids, which of course means I get to stop at the Costco in Kalamazoo and see what wonderful prime beef might be available!  Tonight I found some lovely rib caps (more on that below) and an 11-pound prime brisket that I picked up for a friend with a smoker.  And since it's Wine Wednesday, of course I need to open up a nice bottle of wine, and tonight I've opened a bottle from Mark Ryan Winery that I must have received a year or so ago in a wine club shipment.  The 2015 "Lonely Heart" is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Obelisco and Klipsun Vineyards in the Red Mountain District in the Columbia Valley of Washington, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a perfect Cabernet color and consistency, inky black at the center and bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is an elegant cascade of leather, graphite and black cherry intermingled with hints of mint and warm spice.  The taste is complicated.  My first sip was like a head-on collision between ripe plum and tart cherry that almost made me dizzy.  My second sip after the wine opened up a bit was classic Red Mountain Cabernet with rich, ripe black fruit, plum, cherry and blackberry enveloping your palate, before giving way to some notes of mocha and cocoa powder midpalate.  The fine tannins provide for a velvety smooth and dry finish that lingers for what seem like half an hour.

Overall, I rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a fabulous and classic example of a Columbia Valley Cabernet, that's drinking well now, but has the potential to age very well for a decade or more.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from hearty Italian pasta, to wild mushroom risotto, to braised short ribs or a classic steak.  Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with the aforementioned rare grilled rib cap, some grilled Brussels sprouts and a big baked potato with sour cream and scallions.  Cheers!